The Tar Heel Knight

This is an update from one year ago…

Clearly, Human Trafficking (often called Modern Day Slavery) is most prominent in countries outside the U.S., notably India, China and Pakistan, which top the list with the most people trafficked. The most dangerous countries for human trafficking, those with the highest rates based on population, are Afghanistan, Eritrea and Yemen. A common misconception about human trafficking is that it is not a problem in the United States. This is false, as the United States is ranked as one of the worst countries globally for human trafficking, based on use. It is estimated that 199,000 incidents occur within the United States every year. (Deliverfund.org,
2023)

“The State Department believes that anywhere between 14,500 and 17,500 people are victims of human trafficking within the U.S. every year, 72 percent of whom are immigrants” (April, 2023). Human trafficking is the second-fastest growing criminal industry in the U.S. Trafficking victims are used against their will for a variety of reasons, among them: forced labor, sexual exploitation, crime, and marriage. In fiscal year 2022, arrests for human trafficking increased by 50 percent, and convictions skyrocketed by 80 percent. Girls and women are at particular risk of human trafficking for sex and prostitution. Females account for 94 percent of victims of sex
trafficking, and two out of every three child trafficking victims worldwide are girls. Thirteen years old is the average age at which a child is sold for sex.” That is absolutely horrifying.

“In 2021, the (USA) National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 10,360 unique incidents of human trafficking. The hotline also received 51,073 substantive phone calls, texts, Webchats, emails, or online tips reported across the nation. The actual number of human trafficking victims is likely far greater than has been reported. This problem will continue to escalate as long as our southern border remains wide open and law enforcement officials lack the resources they need to find and prosecute the vile people who engage in trafficking”. (“Save Girls from Human Trafficking”, US Senate, April, 2023)

There is a highly consolidated human smuggling market along the US–Mexico border, where various domestic and foreign criminal actors, as well as both US and Mexican officials, facilitate the smuggling of people into the US. While Mexican nationals remain the largest group of migrants smuggled into the US, many others hail from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. (Global Organized Crime Index, 2023)

“According to the Bureau of Justice, of the human trafficking cases reported between January 2008 and June 2010, sex trafficking victims were more likely to be white (26%) or black (40%), compared to labor trafficking victims, who were more likely to be Hispanic (63%) or Asian (17%).” (Human Trafficking Hotline website, 2023)

Types of Human Trafficking: (US Dept of State)
Trafficking for forced labor.
Trafficking for forced criminal activities.
Trafficking in women for sexual exploitation.
Trafficking for the removal of organs.
People smuggling.
(World Population Review, 2023)

“North Carolina remians 9th for ‘number’ of persons trafficked." (2023 data) More than 260 people, most of them women and children, were reported victims of human trafficking in North Carolina at the end of 2020. (Jan 12, 2023.) Charlotte is the number one city in the state since Charlotte is known for their major interstates (interstate 77 and 85), both leading to shipping ports. Cargo shipping is a hotspot for trafficking because the lack of safety and labor enforcement. Among minors alone, a 77% increase in trafficking cases occurred within the city between 2022 and 2023.

“Victims frequently do not seek help due to language barriers, fear of their traffickers, or fear of law enforcement. Because human trafficking is considered a hidden crime, several key indicators can help people recognize potential endangerment and notify law enforcement. The US Department of State has a list of indicators you can use to help identify victims. These indicators include:
● Living with employer
● Poor living conditions
● Multiple people in cramped space
● Inability to speak to individual alone
● Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed
● Employer is holding identity documents
● Signs of physical abuse
● Submissive or fearful
● Unpaid or paid very little
● Under 18 and in prostitution”
(National Human Trafficking Hotline, 2023)

So, what could we, as Knights, do to help this local and national problem? Here’s what one council did in Atlanta in 2019:

“Outside the Atlanta city limits, near Stone Mountain Park, lies a tranquil eight-acre estate with a ranch-style home that has access to walking trails. Over the years, the home has fallen into disrepair and the trails are overgrown."

“Members from Knights of Columbus Thomas O’Reilly Council 4358 have been traveling out to the property after Sunday Masses to give the home a fresh coat of paint, to repair old walls and build new ones, to fix the plumbing and refurnish the house. They aren’t flipping the house for resale. Instead they are turning it into a place of refuge for sex-trafficking victims."

“‘This is a place where young ladies are going to be taken and find some peace of mind, some counseling, recover their sense of self-worth and get help,’ said Joel Peddle, Chancellor of Council 4358."

“The Knights are working with Out of Darkness, the organization that purchased the property, and the Freedom Now Movement. Both groups are dedicated to rescuing sex-trafficking victims, the latter of which was founded by Peddle’s nephew. More than 20 Knights and their families have gone to the property to renovate the home, which is now called the Safe House."

“‘We show up with our hammers, crowbars, electric drills, work boots and knee pads,’ Peddle said. ‘[We say] let’s go to this room, we need teams here. And team by team, we go do something. …You see guys working and without complaint, with joy in their hearts.’

“The house is especially needed in the Atlanta metro area. The city ranks among the top U.S. cities for human trafficking, with more than $260 million going into the industry in a five year span. In 2018 alone, 375 cases  were reported in Georgia (Georgia is #7 for US States). ‘This is a national epidemic,’ Peddle said. ‘It’s not just Georgia and I’m ashamed Georgia has this.’

“Peddle and members of the Council 4358 see their involvement in repairing the house as a ‘no-brainer’ and emblematic of the Knights of Columbus’ pro-life mission of defending the most vulnerable. ‘It’s like the unborn,’ Peddle said. ‘They’re all very vulnerable. And there are vicious men mostly who want to exploit [young women]. I think this is a moral imperative of the first rank.’

“The council’s goal is to have the home renovated and operational by the fall. Their involvement in the initiative won’t stop there. Out of Darkness has asked the Knights to be involved long after the Safe House’s opening with not only maintaining the home, but also providing financial support."

“That sense of chivalry and fraternity is why Peddle joined the Knights after he converted to the faith. ‘You’re a gentleman, a gentleman who’s Catholic, and that’s what the Knights are,’ Peddle said. ‘The gentlemen Catholics who are every much of man as Achilles and every much as beautiful as a lamb and the heart of Christ.’”  (8/20/2019. KofC)

There are similar organizations within North Carolina that offer housing assistance to victims of human trafficking. “Project No Rest” https://projectnorest.org/ is an NC statewide project to increase awareness and prevention around human trafficking and how it affects our children and young people in North Carolina. Two other notable organizations are The Mission Haven at https://www.themissionhaven.org/ and Hope for Justice at https://hopeforjustice.org/news/hope-for-justice-north-carolina-regional-center-formerly-lily-pad-haven/. Certainly, these are places to start if your council is interested in volunteering or donating resources to stop human trafficking locally.

Being aware of the signs of human trafficking as listed above and contacting the proper authorities when human trafficking is suspected is critical to individual safety and our responsibility for Life! To report suspected human trafficking to Federal law enforcement, call 1-866-347-2423.

The Human Trafficking Hotline serves victims and survivors of human trafficking across the United States. The Hotline is available 24/7, 365 days a year, and in more than 200 languages. The confidential Hotline helps any person of any age, religion, race, language, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. To contact the Hotline to report a tip, seek services, or ask for help, dial 1-888-373-7888. Hearing and speech-impaired individuals should dial 711. You can also send an SMS text to 233-733 or start a live chat on their website. For more information, contact the Human Trafficking Hotline at: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/statistics/north-carolina.

Human Trafficking is a focus within the KofC Life agenda, but not specifically called oout. It falls within the “Other” category for reporting Life program events.

Vivat Jesus,
Jim Venglarik
Life Director, NC KofC
Life@kofcnc.org
516-924-4384